Homemade Glutinous Rice Wine Recipe

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Rice wine is an alcoholic drink that has been consumed in Asia for hundreds of years. It is also a popular choice for cooking in many Asian dishes. Making glutinous rice wine at home takes about 2 weeks but is a very straightforward process.

Ingredients （ Make 2L Yellow Glutinous Rice Wine ）

• 1200 g Round Glutinous Rice ( Round Sweet Rice )
• 5 g Chinese Rice Wine Yeast Ball  (if you can’t find it in an Asian grocery store, Amazon carries it )
• 1200 ml Water
• 5 L Glass Jar

Room Temperature ( for reference only )

• 20 ~ 25°C
• Humidity 80%

Instructions

1. Soaking the Rice

Soak glutinous rice in water for overnight 12 hours, 24 hours in winter . The water volume must be double or above of the glutinous rice.

2. Steam the Rice

Drain the rice. Evenly spread a layer of rice over the cheesecloth. Don’t pile the rice too thick or the grains may not steam all the way through. If you are using a medium steam, most likely the rice will have to cook in 2 batches. Cover the top of the steamer basket with a tight fitting lid and steam for about 45 ~ 60 minutes (it may take longer if more rice). Check the grains to see if they are translucent, but not mushy. You don’t want any opaque bits (uncooked) in the centers either. Check the water levels in your steamer base and get the remaining uncooked rice ready for the steamer and repeat.

3. Low the temperature of Rice

When the rice is cooked, place the rice in a large, wide bowl. You can just let it cool or rinse thoroughly in very cold water until the rice temperature reach 37°C.

4. Prepare the yeast

Crush the yeast ball into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle 4/5 of the yeast evenly over the rice. Using a clean chopsticks to mix the yeast into the rice to distribute the yeast as evenly as possible.

5. 裝瓶

Put the rice into a large clean wide-mouth glass jar. Use the chopsticks to make a well in the center of the rice all the way to the bottom of the vessel. Sprinkle the remaining half of the yeast evenly over the rice surface. Cover with lid but not necessary airtight, the yeast fermentation need to breath.

6. 1st Fermentation

The best ferment temperature of rice is 30 ~ 35°C ( not the room temperature) from Day 1 ~ 3. Better use a cooking thermometer to check it. Set the vessel in a warm place, wrap the glass jar with blanket or put it near the heater to keep it warm. After 48 hours, there should be liquid (rice wine) starting to accumulate in the well and no mold.

 

7. Prevent Mold

The 1st fermentation last for about 6 ~ 7 days. White mold grow on top of rice should be normal. If the rice has green or grey molded,  spray some vodka or double-distilled liquor to kill the bacteria. The green dot or grey dot should disappear if the bacteria were killed.  If they still there after spraying alchol you’ll have to throw it out (sorry!).  If the rice has not molded, then continue to let the rice ferment until Day 6 or 7.

8. 2nd Fermentation

At Day 7, prepared 1200 ml boiled water, let it cool to 35ºC. Pour it into the rice. Don’t need to stir it. Wrap with blanket again. Let it fermented for another 7 days in the warm place. The best fermentation temperature of rice should be 25 ~ 30ºC. The rice will begin floating as more rice wine is produced. There will be bubble rising up as well.  It should smell like sake and taste sweet and slightly boozy.

9. Complete

Day 9 ~ 10, you can divvy up the rice and liquid among smaller jars when the flavor is to your liking. If the rice didn’t sink to the vessel bottom, there are still many air in the wine, make sure there is no bubble in the wine bottle before you put on the lid.

10. Bottling

Spray the wine bottle, sieve, funnel, spoon or any utensils with vodka or double-distilled liquor, let it dry before divvy up the rice and liquid. Pour the rice and liquid over sieve. Heat the wine in a saucepan until 70ºC, let cool before pouring into the wine bottle, put the lid and refrigerate if you like. The remaining mashed rice is called wine lees and can be used for a condiment.